Fire-escape



(No Model.)

I J. LOGKWOOD & J. KIVETT.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Sept. 18, 1883.

WITNESSES \NVENTORS n. Pnzns. Phnlo-Ulhogmphor. Wllhingw. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH LOOKWOOD AND JOHN KIVETT, OF SULLIVAN, INDIANA.

Fl REA-ESCAPE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,282, dated September 18, 1883,

Application filed April 3, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JEREMIAH Loonwooi) and JOHN Krvnrr, citizens of the United States, residing at Sullivan, in the county of Sullivan and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of ref erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings isa vertical sectional View of a building, showing our device, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

This invention has relation to fire-escapes; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the front of a building having the windows B B.

0 indicates a Windlass or roller, the journals of which are seated in strong bearings d, which are secured to the building-wall or windowcasing above the upper window. The windh lass O is provided with a ratchet-wheel, e,

adapted to be engaged by a pawl-lever, G, whereby the flexible ladder L can be wound up on said windlass. The ladder L is preferably constructed of twisted wires, in which the rounds h are fastened. To the lower ends of the wires 7c is attached a weight, M, which is designed to cause the ladder to unroll from the windlass automatically when the stoppawl p is disengaged from the ratchet e of the Windlass.

Within the building, i 11 each story, is located,

near the window, an alarm, T, whereof the sounding device is provided with an arm or trigger, e, which extends through an aperture or slot, 8, in the wall or window-casing, and projects in the path of the weight M of the escape-ladder, so that as said weight descends it will strike the trigger and set off the alarm, thereby calling the attention of the persons within hearing to the escape. A wire cord, 2, extends through all the stories of the building upward to the pawl 12 to which it is attached. The spring of the pawl 19, should have sufficient power to counteract the weight of the cord, .so that the escape-ladder will not be allowed to descend prematurely. Should a fire occur in the building and means of escape be needed, the cord z is pulled, disengaging the pawl 1 from the ratchet and allowing the ladder to unroll from the Windlass. As it descends past each story an alarm is sounded, calling the attention of the occupants.

Having described this invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

A fire-escape consisting of a flexible metallic ladder attached to a Windlass seated in bearings at an upper window of a building, and having a ratchet-wheel, the weight connected to the lower end of the ladder, the stop-pawl and its wire cord, and the alarm or alarms arranged in the stories below, and having arms or triggers projecting beyond the building wall in the path of the descending weight of the ladder, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses. I

JEREMIAH LOGKWOOD. JOHN KIVETT. lVit-nesses:

THOMAS C. VVILLIAMs, W. T. CRAWFORD. 

